Cape Town Stuff!

The City of Cape Town’s enforcement and rescue services are bracing for a busy weekend as the festive season goes into full swing. With the long weekend ahead and temperatures soaring, the City reminds residents to keep safety top of mind at all times. Read more below:

With schools officially closed and many businesses following suit from today, officials are expecting increased activity on a number of fronts, including at long-distance public transport interchanges, shopping malls and the beaches.

The City has a festive season operational plan that covers all of these priority areas and more.

On the roads, the Cape Town Traffic Service is launching Operation Exodus today, 14 December 2018, to ensure vehicle and driver fitness particularly for long-distance public transport vehicles. Each year, thousands of people travel to other parts of the country to spend the holidays with their families. Operation Exodus offers free safety checks to public transport operators to ensure that their vehicles are in sound condition before hitting the road. The campaign runs until Christmas Eve.

· There is no charge for the registration of solar PV systems. A fee will only be applied for failure to register the system

· No solar PV ‘tax’ is in the pipeline

· The registration will tell the City of Cape Town where a system is connected so that staff and contractors are not electrocuted when working on the network

· Draft national legislation indicates that formal registration of SSEG systems will become mandatory

The City would like to clear up some of the confusion that has become apparent in light of the City’s reminder that solar PV systems need to be registered with the municipality.

No charge for registration

It must be stressed that the City does not charge for the registration of solar PV systems. The R6 425,90 service fee will only be applied in cases where residents fail to register their system with the City. Residents should note, however, that there may be costs associated with ensuring that the system is either compliant or off-grid.

Irene Kabongo, a professional nurse, was on her way home after a job interview when she boarded the MyCiTi bus at Woodbridge Island on Thursday evening, 13 December 2018. Her skills as a professional nurse came in handy when she assisted a pregnant MyCiTi passenger to give birth to a healthy baby girl at the MyCiTi station in Milnerton shortly before 20:00 last night. Read more below:

‘I sat down next to a pregnant woman who told me she was not feeling well at all. She was on her way to Somerset Hospital as she was having contractions. I asked her about the sequence of the contractions and realised that she was going to give birth very soon. So I phoned the emergency number in the bus and then we got off at Milnerton station,’ said Kabongo, a mother herself.

Once at the station, Kabongo made the 33-year old pregnant woman comfortable on a blanket.

Anele Damgazele, a security guard on duty at the station, assisted.

‘The baby wanted to come, I could see the head and told the guard to go fetch the emergency kit quick for scissors and bandages. I always walk with my gloves, so I put them on. Then she pushed and the baby was out and I cut the umbilical cord. I’m proud and happy that the knowledge I have saved a life,’ said Kabongo.

The DHL Stormers will head into the 2019 Vodacom Super Rugby season with a new apparel sponsor in BLK.

BLK have joined the Western Province Rugby sponsorship fold, in an initial two-year deal that will see them produce both the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province jerseys going forward, bringing with them a proven track record in making quality sports apparel.

Created in 2011, BLK produces innovative, quality player tested apparel and accessories. It is the relentless pursuit of perfection during both design and production which has enabled BLK to evolve and build a reputation as the toughest and most durable sporting brand on the planet.

The all-new 2019 BLK home DHL Stormers jersey features a modern twist on the traditional blue and white hoops, a silhouette of the iconic Table Mountain on the back, #WeStandTogether text on the inner collar and encapsulates both the DHL Stormers’ traditions and the beauty of Cape Town. It will be a great addition to any game-day merchandise collection.

The away jersey is a markedly different black design with a yellow trim and a new-age take on the traditional hoops in the form of soundwaves which symbolise the thunder of the storm and the noise made by the DHL Newlands Faithful.

Refuse collection services will continue as per normal on the following public holidays:

· Monday 17 December 2018

· Tuesday 25 December 2018

· Wednesday 26 December 2018

· Tuesday 1 January 2019

The City encourages residents to please have refuse bins out by 06:00 on scheduled refuse days and not to wait for the refuse vehicle to arrive before taking out their refuse bins.

Drop-off facilities

All drop-off facilities will operate daily as per normal advertised summer times which are:

· Monday 17 December 2018: all drop-off sites will operate from 08:00 to 17:00

· Monday 24 December 2018: all drop-off sites will operate from 08:00 to 16:30. Drop-offs that are located at disposal facilities, such as Athlone, Bellville, Coastal Park, Kraaifontein and Swartklip will be operating from 08:00 to 17:00 Continue reading →

Vuka Ukhanye 2019 awakens dynamism through inclusivity, processes and people

Cape Town, 07 December 2018 – The Cape Town Carnival theme for 2019 was the result of brainstorming sessions between participating groups, organisers and artists from more than 50 neighbourhoods across Cape Town. “VUKA UKHANYE: Arise and Shine!” was the bold statement that culminated from these creative and fun workshops.

And that’s just where the collective creativity begins. “We’re a family at the Cape Town Carnival, and we work together as much as possible in the creative processes that lead up to the annual event that takes place on 16 March next year,” says Brad Baard, creative director of the Cape Town Carnival.

The 2019 theme incorporates everything that the Carnival family feels truly depicts “VUKA UKHANYE: Arise and Shine!” Baard says, “The parade is a vivid journey of awakening, from sunrise and literally waking up in the morning, to symbolically waking up your own power.”

Residents and motorists are advised to take note of the temporary road restrictions and closures in effect around the Cape Town Stadium precinct to accommodate the upcoming HSBC Rugby 7s tournament this weekend.

All roads will lead to the Cape Town Stadium on 8 – 9 December 2018 for the Cape Town leg of the HSBC Rugby 7s.

Temporary road restrictions and closures will be implemented which will have an impact on traffic flow.

‘The City has put together a comprehensive transport plan to accommodate the thousands of fans who are encouraged to make use of the free MyCiTi shuttle service to the stadium to alleviate the pressure on the roads. The City’s enforcement units will be out in force to maintain law and order on the roads. Motorists are urged to exercise patience and caution and plan their trips accordingly,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

‘After months of planning and preparation, the Cape Town Stadium team is ready to welcome the players as well as fans from near and far. Fans are urged to enjoy the setting of our world-class stadium. A team of 150 cleaning and waste removal staff will be deployed per day to cater for the cleanliness and waste removal requirements over the tournament period. Additionally, the stadium will primarily rely on its on-site generators for electricity and will use City electricity as a backup to minimise the impact of load-shedding,’ said Lesley de Reuck, CEO: Cape Town Stadium.

Kids can look forward to interactive sing-along songs in this magical musical production, featuring life-size puppets. There’s fun for the whole family at the V&A Waterfront, with performances every day at 11pm at the Amphitheatre. A meet and greet with Peppa Pig and friends will take place from 12pm and 2pm at Lamp Side Court. For further information visit www.waterfront.co.za.

As testament to the creative imagination of some of Cape Town’s youngest budding artists, more than 500 submissions were received in the second annual Festive Lights Art Challenge. Read more below:

The Art Challenge, which is aimed at children aged 6-12 years of age, incorporates some of the artworks that were featured on stage as part of the backdrop. The theme for the City’s festive lights event this year was ‘City of inspiration’.

In the year that marks what would have been the late Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday, South Africans are encouraged to reflect on his life and legacy. The City also calls on Capetonians to be #BeInspiring and help shape our common destiny.

‘Nelson Mandela loved children and believed their education was of utmost importance. He also believed that children should be able to express themselves. Art is a great tool for expanding a child’s imagination and we need to encourage this among all young people,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith, as he welcomed some of the young artists and declared the Art Exhibition open.

Note to editors: Audio notes of Springbok Sevens players, Werner Kok and Branco du Preez (Afrikaans and English) on the forthcoming HSBC Cape Town Sevens can be downloaded here.

The players in the Springbok Sevens team took full responsibility for the hiccup in Dubai, where an individualistic approach in the opening matches of last week’s tournament led to the less than perfect start to the season for the Blitzboks.

That is the opinion of Springbok Sevens strongman Werner Kok as the team prepare for the HSBC Cape Town Sevens, to be played in the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

“It felt like we played for ourselves and not the team in those opening matches,” said Kok.

“We lacked a team effort, but once we sorted that out and found the team structure again, things went well, especially in the matches against Scotland and Fiji. So we need to start from that base here in Cape Town.”